I am all too aware that my babies are quickly growing up into little kids (see Growing Pains). It seems like almost every day they can do something new, and they are increasingly asserting themselves as independent people (which terrifies me). I spend far less time considering my own growth. While it is easy to […]

For months, my husband and I – along with our parents, pediatrician, friends, and some random strangers – have been telling our son (who recently turned 3) that “big boys use the potty” in an effort to get him on board with potty training. We do not believe in using force, coercion, or shame to […]

Several times in the last few weeks, my husband and I have woken up to a pitiful whimpering from our son’s bedroom. He cries that his legs hurt, and writhes in pain. “It’s just growing pains,” my husband assures me, as he stumbles back to bed. They may not indicate that anything is wrong with […]

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I lived in the same house for the first ten years of my life. When my parents mentioned the possibility of moving to a better school district, I was adamant that if they moved, they’d have to leave me behind. It was more than a house – it was my room with the run-away window, […]

I never quite understood why people make such a fuss about a baby’s first haircut. It’s not like she is seeking to change her image; rather, it’s a purely practical part of personal hygiene that at some point, everyone needs a trim to avoid looking sloppy and unkempt. There may be more of a judgment […]

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In the year since my son was born, I have received more advice than ever before in my adult life. Always well-intentioned, the parenting advice has come from family, friends, colleagues, and strangers and has ranged from the obvious (“your life will never be the same”) to the absurd (“get on several preschool waiting lists […]